A story about Blank
by materiagurl
Summary: Final Fantasy 9. I make an appearance as Xirkyn and rescue Blank from Evil Forest. Confusion and anger erupt as I try to explain my existence. Does not exactly follow storyline. I don't own any of the characters from FF9. I just play the game.


A story about Blank  
  
I opened my eyes and realized that I wasn't in the Forest anymore. 'Where am I?' I wondered. 'And how did I get here?' I looked around to discover that I was sitting on the fountain in Treno. It suddenly occurred to me that my face got wet, like I fell in.  
  
I took a look around, hoping to find someone that looked familiar. I went to the old inn and talked to some chick in the back. Still searching for answers, I found myself at the Card Tournament. I really didn't feel like playing, but something told me to stick around. I started to look for Zidane, who undoubtly would be there. 'I'm so glad he got that map. Hey. Maybe he's the one that saved me.' I suddenly felt a firm hand on my shoulder. Startled, I turned around to find a girl with short, green hair that was tied back. Such a unique style of hair that you could tell she wasn't from around there. She wore a headband on her forehead just above her short, wild bangs. Her outfit went undescribed. It reminded me of a girl I knew a couple years ago, except without the shuriken.  
  
"Hey there. How are you feeling? I was gonna go check on you. I'm Xirkyn."   
  
"Uh, I'm Blank. Were you the one that saved me from Evil Forest?"  
  
"Yup, that was me! It wasn't easy. I had to swipe the supersoft from that bandit, but I got you out just in time."  
  
"Well, thanks. I guess I'll get going then…hey wait. You talkin' about Marcus?"  
  
"Who? All I know is that he was with this noble chick and some kid with a tail."  
  
'Marcus! Zidane! And the princess!' "Hey. Thanks a bunch. I guess I'll be seein' ya!"   
  
"Wait! You're not well enough to go off yet!" she said, but he was already gone. 'I wonder why he was in such a hurry? I hardly even got to know him…'   
  
Blank made his way to Alexandria. He was almost there when he was struck down by an Ochu. Ordinarily, the Ochu would've been beaten to a pulp, but he was so weak from being entangled and petrified…frozen, for so long. Barely alive, he heard a strange noise, a voice and then a scream. He was unconscious for a few hours. He awoke to find someone caressing his cheek. He shot up and shoved the hand away. "Dude, I was just making sure you didn't hurt yourself!" It was her again. "Why did you help me?" he asked stubbornly. Xirkyn sighed and said, "I told you not to wander off because you would get hurt." Blank cut her off and said, "Well, you're not my mother. Don't worry about me." Xirkyn narrowed her eyes at this, folded her arms and said "Fine!" She walked away from Blank, and away from the little campfire that was set by the tent. She found herself at the cliff, looking down at Treno. She sighed, trying to remember the last time she found a place to call home. She started kicking the dirt, wondering where she would end up next. 'I must be here for a reason. Gods, why won't you send me a sign?' Xirkyn gasped when she discovered that Blank had walked up from behind quietly. She looked at him, then looked back at the stars, or maybe just looking far out over the Mist Continent, in search of her answers. "In all of my days, I have searched the entire continent, and nothing seems to bring me much joy. I long to explore the other continents, but now that is not a possibility. How did you end up here? I've never seen you before."  
  
"…I don't know. Lately, I haven't been able to think clearly. I'm sorry. But, now that you ask, may I ask you something?" Blank nodded. "Where did those scars come from?"  
  
"……" "They are battle scars. I've had them for years…"  
  
"I see. Well, Blank, is it? I…need your help." Blank opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out, as he observed Xirkyn walking back to the tent. He soon followed, but not before seeing a familiar-looking figure far away. He shrugged it off, as his vision became blurry after the battle with the Ochu.  
  
Xirkyn was gathering wood and placing it on the fire. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. She sat down in front of the fire, catching her breath, and realized that Blank had sat down across from the fire. "So…what were you trying to say to me before?" he asked.  
  
She looked at him. "I'm not really sure. But something tells me that you are the one."  
  
Blank stood up abruptly. He backed away, "What? Waaait a minute. What makes you think that I'll help you? I don't even know where you came from! For all I know, you could be in trouble with the law!"  
  
"……"  
  
"I need an explanation before I even decide to consider."  
  
"…I'm sorry. I can't give you that."  
  
"Well, then. You're on your own." And Blank turned to walk away, once again.  
  
"You better be careful. You're still badly hurt."  
  
Blank turned to face her. "I don't need your help. I can take care of myself! You think that just because you saved me before…Well, I could've gotten away if I wanted to. But you had to make yourself part of it, just so I could return the favor? I need to think about this…" And he walked away.  
  
"Well," she began, calmly. He turned around to hear her out, "I see that you've made your decision. Until we met again, Blank." Blank stood there for a moment, then turned back and walked out of sight.  
  
He was walking for about five minutes. 'Not again. I can't keep doing this. It has brought nothing. It can't be…my destiny? No, I won't. Twice is enough. I can't take any more spares…'   
  
Suddenly, Blank heard a shrill scream. He ran back to the campfire. He looked all around, but couldn't find her. 'Oh no. Why did I leave like that? I can take care of myself, but what about her?' "Xirkyn! Where are you?!" No answer. He pulled back the flaps of the tent and knelt down in the doorway. There sat Xirkyn, with her head down. He noticed that her shoulders were rising and falling rapidly. She looked up at him. Her face was full of fear. "Xirkyn, what happened? Are you alright?"  
  
"…Yeah. Something crawled up to the tent and scared me to death."  
  
"What did it look like?"  
  
"It was…yellow in color with orange wings…"  
  
"Oh…that was an oglop."  
  
"Well…I just discovered…that I HATE oglops!!!!"  
  
"Yeah, they're everywhere. I can't stand 'em."  
  
Xirkyn smiled in relief, her usually bright eyes now looking rather dull.   
  
Blank looked at her for a second. "Is that all? Xirkyn, what's wrong?"  
  
"…Nothing. Really, I'm just real tired."  
  
"RRrrrrraaaarrrrrggghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!" came a noise from outside the tent. Blank and Xirkyn looked at each other in affirmation. They came out of the tent, ready to fight. The notorious creature's tentacles struck the tent as they jumped out. Xirkyn looked back at the sabotaged tent. She glared at the monster. "You jerk. Those are expensive!" A yellow glow appeared around Xirkyn.  
  
"Alright. I've seen this monster before."  
  
"Me too. It's a Malboro. I despise the bastards."  
  
"Hey, how did you know?" said Blank as he looked at her, suddenly noticed her strange glow. "Uh, Xirkyn, did you just hit Trance?"  
  
"Oh. Is that what it's called? Let's take 'em!"  
  
Blank jumped out and struck hard. Critical Hit! But it didn't do much good. "Man…if we only had some way to damage him. Like that fire over there…but we better not put it out."  
  
"Leave it to me." Xirkyn suddenly gathered streams of energy from around her and forced her arms out toward the creature, hands darted out, one behind the other as if to brace it. Bursts of extreme fire power began shooting from her hand and obliterated the Malboro. "That's right. Don't cast that damn Bad Breath on me!"   
  
Blank looked at Xirkyn in shock. Xirkyn noticed this. "What?"  
  
"You really are somethin'. Scared of a puny oglop, but you just roasted that Malboro like a Marlboro cigarette. Show off."  
  
She blushed lightly. "Wh…what? I was just protecting myself. I don't even know what came over me. Maybe it was that Trance thing you said."  
  
"…Maybe. I'm told that it can be dangerous."  
  
"You mean you've never experienced it?"  
  
Blank was silent. Xirkyn suddenly heard a thump. She turned around to find Blank being dragged away by an unharmed tentacle wrapped around his leg. "Oh no! Hold on!" Xirkyn pulled out one of her twin daggers and cut the tentacle, releasing Blank. 'Phew, that was close.'  
  
Blank didn't thank her. Maybe it was because he was still upset with her. "Aaaaahh! Blank!" Blank turned around to find one tentacle wrapped around for each of her wrists and ankles and one tight around her neck as she struggled to break free, barely standing. "Dammit. Blasted creature. Why won't you die!?" Blank darted out and diced the tentacles with his sword. He also made sure none of them would grow back. He walked up to Xirkyn, who was on all fours, panting like a dog. "Th…Thank you…Blank…"  
  
"Are you alright?" he helped her up and they walked back to the fire. She stumbled to the ground. "Ugh."  
  
Blank turned and helped her up. He took her arm around his shoulder. "C'mon. Just a little further."  
  
"I…guess I just did too much back there."  
  
"Yeah, trying to impress me," he joked.  
  
"Oh shut up."  
  
They got back to the campfire. "Hey, Blank. Help me put another tent up. Glad I always keep a spare."   
  
They got the tent up. Suddenly Xirkyn fell to her knees. "Ohh."  
  
"Xirkyn!"  
  
"I…think that bastard…poisoned me…" she fell unconscious.  
  
Blank caught her before her head hit the ground. 'Damn. Now what do I do? I'm stuck with this chick.' He reached in his pocket. "Of all the dumb luck," he said aloud. "Outta antidotes. Hold on. I'll be back." He laid her gently in the tent and ran quickly to the nearest town. 


End file.
